The Bridge is the final entry in a productive and tempestuous period of Billy Joel's career where he released his most critically praised album (but a commercial failure), The Nylon Curtain and a massive popular hit, An Innocent Man, in addition to this one. In The Bridge, Joel eschews the '60s and '50s influences of the previous two albums and goes straight into the '80s. As a result, the album sounds incredibly dated, laced with cheesy synths and fake horns. If you ever wondered why Billy Joel earned a reputation as a schlocky popmeister, The Bridge will show you. There are a few good tracks and one great one, "A Matter of Trust." The rest is pure soft rock, along with some influences from jazz, blues and Cyndi Lauper. Not a great Joel CD, by any means--and yet, in its '80s glory, it's somehow mesmerizing. Grade: 4/10